Pateick selby



(No Model.)

P. SELBY.

CLOTHES POUNDER.

Patented Oct. 13, 1885.

IJV'VE TOR .dtto'rne J FWITJVESSE N. PETERS, Photo-Lithographer, wnrrnm. n. c.

UNrTnn STATES PATENT PATRICK SELBY, OF LEE, OHIO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALFTO JOHN H.

\VINN, OF SAME PLACE.

CLOTH ES-POUNDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 328,434, dated Catcher13, 1885.

(No model.)

ings, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to that class of clotheswashing machines or devicescommonly known as clothespounders," and it has for its objecttheproduction of a washing machine or device of the above-mentioned class,which shall possess advantages in the points of simplicityofconstruction and increased efficiency in operation.

To these ends my invention consists in the improved construction andcombination of parts, which will be hereinafter fully de scribed, andpointed out in the claims.

Referring to the annexed drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of myimproved clothes-pounder, showing part of the outer chamber broken away,asindicated by dotted lines, to better illustrate the arrangement of theseveral parts. Fig. 2 is a bottom view of the clothes-pounder. Fig. 3 isatransverse vertical sectional View taken on line 06 m, Fig. 2; and Fig.4 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view taken on line yy, Fig. 2,showing the position ot the ball in dotted line closing the vent.

The same letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all thefigures.

Referring to the several parts by letter, A represents the outer chamberor hell, which may be made of either copper, tin, or brass, and which isconical in cross-section, as shown. To the top of this bell A aresecured the hollow uprights B B and connecting top crosspiece, B", whichis also hollow, the whole constituting the handle B, which is ofordinary construction.

The outer chamber or hell, A, is provided at its top with the centralaperture, A, opening into a valve-chamber, G, formed on the upper sideof the bell A, the said valvechainher having a conical top, 0, providedwith a central aperture, 0 adapted to be closed on the down stroke ormovement of the clothespounder by a suitable ball-valve, O, thetransverse bars or grating 0*, arranged in the lower portion of thevalve-chamber, preventing the ball-valve (which is of less diameter thanthe central or main portion of the valvechamber) from closing thecentral aperture, A, leading from the bottom of the valvechamber intoand through the top of the outer bell, A. The operation of the valvewith reference to the working of the clothespounder will be hereinafterfully described.

D represents the inner bell or chamber, the same consisting of a singlesheet of metal, which is bent or curved into the form shown, so as to benearly V- shaped in cross-section, and is secured within the outerchamber with its larger end or longitudinal edges at the bot tom of andabout flush with the mouth of the outer casing. This inner bell issecured within the outer chamber in such a manner as to leave alongitudinal space, a, between the rounded longitudinal top of the innerbell and the interior upper side of the outer chamber, A, the threelongitudinal spaces between the walls or sides of the inner hell, D, andbetween its sides and the sides of the outer chamber, being centrallydivided by the three pan titions E E E so as to form within the outerchamber six individual chambers, F, F, F", F F, and F The upper ends ofthese three partitions do not come in contact with the tops of thechambers in which they are arranged, but are cut away, so as to leave aspace between the tops of the chambers and the tops of the partitions,through which the air and water may freely pass.

The top portion of the inner bell, D, is provided with a centralaperture, D, which registers with the aperture A in the top of the outerbell, A, for the purpose which will be hereinafter set forth.

The operation of my improved clothespounder is as follows: Theclothes-pounder is operated by giving it a rocking motion, moving theupper end of the handle alternately away from and toward the operator.As the pounder rests on that longitudinal edge of the outer bell, whichis next to the operator, and

is rocked by the handle over toward the other longitudinal edge of thesaid bell until the mouth of the bell lies flat upon the clothes, thewater, rushing with and through the clothes into the several chambersformed in the outer bell, compresses the air in the said chambers intothe upper part of the two bells A and D, the aperture D in the'top ofthe inner bell establishing communication between the up per portions ofthe said two bells, the air thus compressed operating to force theball-valve (3 up against its conical seat, formed by the conical top ofthe valve-chamber O, and thus prevent the escape of the compressed airthrough the said valve-chamber. The air thus compressed in the upperportions of the bells or chambers forces the water in the pounder downthrough the clothes, and thus aids greatly in cleansing the clothes. Asthe pounder is forced or rocked still farther over away from theoperator until it rests upon that longitudinal edge of the outer bell,A, which is tarthest from the operator,the water rushes over the curvedtop of the inner bell, D, carrying with it the compressed air, and theair and.

water thus pass down and out beneath the near side of the outer bell, asthe latter is raised in the rocking process.

As the compressed air thus escapes from the top of the bells, a vacuumis produced in the upper portion of the bells, and the pressure of theexterior air (and also its own weight relieved from the pressure of thecompressed air in the bell) causes the ball-valve (J to fall in thevalve-chamber until it rests upon the grating 0, thereby permitting theexterior air to enter the upper part of the bells to fill the vacuumcaused by the expulsion of the interior compressed airtherefrom. As

the operator draws the handle toward him at the end of the outwardstroke or movement, the operations just described are repeated, exceptthat the Water enters the bellsot' course from the reverse side to thatpreviously described, the air being compressed in the upper portions ofthe bells at the beginning of each stroke or rocking movement andescaping or, rather, being expelled therefrom at the conclusion of thestroke, the valve operating to admit air into the upper portion of thebells as soon-as the vacuum is created at the end of each stroke.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, the construction and operation of my improvedclothes-pounder will be readily understood without requiring furtherexplanation.

It will be seen that my invention is simple in construction, beingdevoid of all springs or complicated parts which are liable to break orget out of order, while at the same time it is very effective in itsoperation.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent of the United States, is p 1. As an improvement inclothes-pounders, the combination of the outer bell or casing having theoperating-handle, and provided with the aperture in its upper side,thevalvechamber arranged above said aperture and having the ball-valveto regulate the admission of air through the said aperture, and theinner hell or chamber having the aperture in its upper side'registeringwith the aperture in the top vof the outer bell or casing, and arrangedwithin the said outer casing as described, all constructed and'arrangedto operate in the manner and for the purpose shown and set forth.

2. The combination of the outer bell or casing having theoperatinghandle, and provided with the aperture in its upper side, thevalve-chamber arranged above said aperture and having the ball-valve toregulate the admission of air through the said aperture, the inner bellor casing having theaperture in its upper side registering with theaperture in the top of the outer bell or casing, and arranged within thesaid outer casing as described, and the partitions arranged asdescribed, all constructed, combined, and ar-' ranged to operate in themanner and for the purpose shown and described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereuntoaflixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

PATRICK SELBY.

Witnesses:

JOHN H. WINN, ANNORAH LYNCH.

